Alkaloid nicotine is a natural insecticide from the extraction of tobacco leaves, and it acts on the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchRs). By so far, using natural nicotine as a leading compound, researchers have been making efforts to look for and develop a new insecticidally active compound having a similar structure and the same mechanism of action as nicotine. Since Soloway et al firstly reported the insecticidally active nitromethylene heterocyclic compounds in 1978, researchers have been changing the functional groups of nitromethylene heterocyclic compounds and Bayer AG successfully developed the first nicotine insecticide—Imidacloprid in middle 1980 s. Due to its unique mechanism of action, no mutual resistance with common insecticides, high effect, broad spectrum, good root systemic ability, contact toxicity, stomach toxicity, low toxicity to mammalian, and safety to the environment, this kind of nicotine insecticide catches people's attention at once. A series of nicotine insecticide such as Thiacloprid, Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam, Acetamiprid, Nitenpyram and Dinotefuran are developed (EP 247477, 296453, 685477, 235725, 235725, 315826, 192060, 244777, 0386565, 580553, 1031566, JP 62292765, 8259568, 8291171, 7242633).
Compared to Imidacloprid, nitromethylene compounds have higher binding affinity and insecticidal activity. Whereas its use as an insecticide has been restricted by its instability to light and low LogP value. Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to structurally modify the highly active nitromethylene compound to make it useful as an insecticide.